LAS VEGAS — On a night when the best of the best players in the game received recognition, the New Jersey Devils’ Taylor Hall put it all into perspective.

“I was super nervous until I just saw that Humboldt tribute,” Hall said. “It really puts everything into perspective for me.”

Moments after the NHL recognized the Humboldt Broncos and coach Darcy Haugan as the recipient of the 2018 Willie O’Ree Community Award, Hall was announced as The League’s Most Valuable Player narrowly edging out Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings.

“Congrats to the nominees on amazing seasons,” Hall said. “It really could have been anyone up here. I’m super interested to see the voting after and see how close it was. It truly was a team effort this year.”

Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils accepts the Hart Trophy given to the most valuable player to his team onstage at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Hart Trophy — League Most Valuable Player — Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils

Hall wins the Hart Trophy after finishing sixth in the NHL in points scored (93), marking the first time the trophy winner didn’t finish among the top four scorers since Mark Messier of the 1991-92 Rangers. Hall, who becomes the first player in franchise history to win an MVP, had 41 more points than the next-highest scorer on the team. Hall recorded seven game-winning goals helping New Jersey improve 27 points in the standings and qualify for the post-season for the first time since 2012.

“It’s not something that I really ever had a goal in mind [to win],” Hall told NHL.com. “It’s always been playoffs and Stanley Cup. As the season went on, you know it might be a possibility and it’s really out of your hands, to be honest. … In saying that, I’m very proud to be standing up here with the trophy.”

Vezina Trophy — Top Goaltender — Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

After finishing second in 2010-11 and 2014-15 and third in 2011-12, it was Rinne’s time to shine as the Finland netminder went 42-13 with a sparkling 2.31 goals-against average and sizzling .927 save percentage. Third in The League with 42 victories, Rinne helped Nashville win its first Presidents’ Trophy with 117 points. His eight shutouts set a new franchise record and tied both runner-ups Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets in that category.

Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators poses with the Vezina Trophy given to the top goaltender in the press room at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Norris Trophy — Top Defenseman — Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Averaging an incredible 25:51 amount of ice time per game in 2017-18, Hedman set a personal best with 17 goals, tying for The League lead, while chipping in 46 assists for 63 points, fifth among all NHL defensemen. A physical, shutdown blueliner in his own zone who wasn’t afraid to join the rush offensively, Hedman finished plus-32 to follow a long line of Swedish defenseman to win the Norris Trophy including Nicklas Lidstrom (7x) and Erik Karlsson (2x).

Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning accepts the James Norris Memorial Trophy given to the top defenseman onstage at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Calder Trophy — Rookie of the Year — Matthew Barzal, New York Islanders

Tops among all NHL rookies in assists (63) and points (85), Barzal was an easy choice for the Calder Trophy after the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser missed the final 16 games of the season with a back injury. Barzal led the New York Islanders in scoring while finishing 13th in The League in points. He is the fifth player in franchise history to win the Calder Trophy joining Dennis Potvin (1973-74), Brian Trottier (1975-76), Mike Bossy (1977-78) and Bryan Berard (1996-97).

Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders poses with the Calder Memorial Tropy given to the NHL’s top rookie in the press room at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Narrowly missing out on the Hart Trophy as The League MVP, Kopitar didn’t leave Las Vegas empty-handed as the Slovakian rebounded from a down year in 2016-17 with 35 goals and 52 assists for 92 points while being accountable in his own zone as the NHL’s top defensive forward. Kopitar finished plus-21 edging out Boston’s Patrice Bergeron who has won the award in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.

Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings accepts the Frank J. Selke trophy given to the top defensive forward onstage at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Jack Adams Award — Top Coach — Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights

After being shown the door by the Florida Panthers in a miserable 2016-17 campaign, Gallant had the last laugh in 2017-18 leading the first-year expansion Golden Knights to a 51-24-7 record and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Gallant captured 102 out of a possible 108 first-place votes in the Jack Adams Award Voting.

General Manager of the Year — George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights

The architect of the first-year expansion Golden Knights run, McPhee captured 25 first-place votes to run away with General Manager of the Year honors. Under McPhee, “The Golden Misfits” set a new standard for first-year expansion clubs in any sport with 109 points to win the Pacific Division before defeating the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

“It was really hard for me to believe, to be honest with you,” McPhee told NHL.com. “Every month, I was like, ‘Boy, is this really happening?‘ As I’ve said a number of times, I had my fingers crossed all year hoping it wouldn’t turn to dust. And each week, we kept winning. And then we won a round, and then won another round, and then won another round. And I was like, ‘This is too good to be true. We might win the Stanley Cup.’ And then we didn’t. And then you come back down to earth. But it was just an extraordinary year in all of our lives.”

Head Coach Gerard Gallant and General Manager George McPhee of the Vegas Golden Knights answer questions during Media Day for the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on May 27, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Playing in all 82 games, William “Wild Bill” Karlsson hit the sin bin just six times for 12 penalty minutes while amassing 43 goals and 78 points, both tops on the first-year expansion Golden Knights. Karlsson also led The League with a plus-49 rating — quite a bump after tallying all of six goals for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17.

William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights poses with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy given to the player best combining sportsmanship and ability in the press room at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

On the ice, Boyle compiled 13 goals and 23 points while lending grit and determination to the Devils. But it was his conflicts off the ice — namely his own battle with chronic myeloid leukemia as well as difficulties with his 3-year-old son Declan, who has arteriovenous malformation of his jaw, a rare condition that impacts blood flow and oxygen circulation — that separated him.

Brian Boyle of the New Jersey Devils accepts the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey onstage at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Main Image: Members of the Humboldt Broncos stand onstage as Darcy Haugan is presented with the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

HockeyClan continues to upgrade its apps to benefit their growing hockey community.

Want to write about hockey? Join the HockeyClan community! While you are here visiting Rate Rinks! You can rate every rink you have ever been to based on the most important criteria. Interested in doing your own Player’s Blog? Send your hockey story to us at main@hockeyclan.com